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Love the stock roof racks!
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I also own these and they are very cool. I leave them on all winter but am happy to get them off come spring. These things are VERY noisy and I can't figure out why. They look streamlined, but generate some serious sounds. I have found that they actually make less noise when I leave the ski rack bolted to the bars. Would love to hear some other suggestions if anyone has figured out how to make these quieter.
Jim in Colorado
Really? I don't notice any difference in noise with them on or off. They are completely quiet, even at freeway speed. My wife has a 2001 Jetta, and the racks on it howl like banshees even at 35 mph.
Roof racks howl from one primary cause... vibration.
Anything that will dampen that vibration will quiet them down.
I have experimented with several methods that work pretty well.
In those type that have clips and are held down with straps... its usually the straps, which oscillate in the wind like a blade of grass between your thumbs.
Something that works with this type is to make little airfoils out of sheet plastic, or even cardboard- that fit over the strap and smooth the airflow across the strap. The ideal solution would be a neutral airfoil shape made out of a rubbery material that fits snugly over the straps. The shorter the exposed section of nekkid strap... the higher a speed it will take to make it hum.
With the OEM racks I would suspect it is the track groove that the various accessories lock into that is catching air and shedding vortices.
This would explain why having one of the accessories strapped in reduces the noise... because anything that fills the groove, and makes the bar more rigid, should reduce noise.
With this type, find a ready made weather stripping- or for best results, mix up some silicone and make custom fit rubber inserts that will fill up the exposed portions of the slot. They need to fit in tight enough not to work loose, and should be flush with the outer surface of the bar, or just a tad shy of the outer surface.
Don't glue them in place... they should be force fit... and make it in several short lengths that will allow you to change the rack configuration as you need.
That should make the racks quiet down.
Anything that will dampen that vibration will quiet them down.
I have experimented with several methods that work pretty well.
In those type that have clips and are held down with straps... its usually the straps, which oscillate in the wind like a blade of grass between your thumbs.
Something that works with this type is to make little airfoils out of sheet plastic, or even cardboard- that fit over the strap and smooth the airflow across the strap. The ideal solution would be a neutral airfoil shape made out of a rubbery material that fits snugly over the straps. The shorter the exposed section of nekkid strap... the higher a speed it will take to make it hum.
With the OEM racks I would suspect it is the track groove that the various accessories lock into that is catching air and shedding vortices.
This would explain why having one of the accessories strapped in reduces the noise... because anything that fills the groove, and makes the bar more rigid, should reduce noise.
With this type, find a ready made weather stripping- or for best results, mix up some silicone and make custom fit rubber inserts that will fill up the exposed portions of the slot. They need to fit in tight enough not to work loose, and should be flush with the outer surface of the bar, or just a tad shy of the outer surface.
Don't glue them in place... they should be force fit... and make it in several short lengths that will allow you to change the rack configuration as you need.
That should make the racks quiet down.